English

The mission of the English Department is to facilitate an exemplary education in the liberal arts by training students to read, write, and think critically about texts in a variety of modes and genres. The English program provides developmental and college-level composition course sequences, General Studies and First-Year Experience Program offerings, major concentrations in Journalism, Creative Writing, Literature, and English for Teaching Certification, and a Minor with Journalism, Creative Writing, and Literature options. The Department prepares a diverse student population for success in college coursework, future careers, and roles as public and private citizens. In addition, the major concentrations provide specialized preparation for entry into graduate school, as well as for careers in education, journalism, and fields related to creative writing.

The English Department faculty is actively involved in scholarly research and publication, and the creative work of the faculty includes poetry, prose fiction and nonfiction, essays, and journalism. Each year the English Department publishes Paths, a student journal of creative writing, and Explorations, a student journal of literary interpretation. The Department also sponsors a chapter of Sigma Tau Delta, the International English Honors Society.

Students who enjoy reading and writing about literature and/or writing creatively are excellent candidates for the English Major. The requirement for admission to all concentrations is a cumulative grade point average of 2.0 in General Studies Program courses. Only courses in which grades of “C” or higher are earned are applied to the major requirements. Students are assigned to an English faculty advisor as soon as they declare a major in English.